Hurricane Sandy's track still up in the air

DOVER — With reports of Hurricane Sandy steadily moving toward the U.S., most likely reaching the area early next week, local agencies have started to prepare for the worst.

From STAFF AND WIRE REPORTSnews@fosters.com

DOVER — With reports of Hurricane Sandy steadily moving toward the U.S., most likely reaching the area early next week, local agencies have started to prepare for the worst.

Forecasters say the East Coast will be smacked with weather worst than experienced in last year's Tropical Storm Irene.

The hurricane has killed at least 20 people in the Caribbean, and just left the Bahamas. It is expected to move north, just off the Eastern seaboard.

Senior Meteorologist Mike Kistner of the National Weather Service said the latest models coming to the center in Maine show the storm heading north, though exact weather predictions are still up in the air.

“It's really, really uncertain where it's going to end up at this point,” he noted though.

Gov. John Lynch urged residents Friday to be prepared, noting utilities continue to monitor the storm closely. A spokesman for Unitil says they are talking to crews as far away as Tennessee and Michigan to make sure they will be available.

Public Service of New Hampshire also has secured a number of contractor crews and is working to retain additional line workers and support staff.

Late Friday evening, Kistner said the most current data indicates Sandy striking in New Jersey, along the coast. If that happens, Kistner said the state will likely see a significant impact in southern areas, with winds up to 70 mph.

“The farther north it goes the more impact we'll get,” he said. “It all depends on the track.”

He said a conservative estimate of rainfall would be about two to four inches in this region, as well.

As far as tropical storms are concerned, Kistner noted this is atypical and more akin to a nor'easter — the hybrid storm has awarded the weather event the name “Frankenstorm.”

“There is a possibility we could see widespread power outages,” Kistner added. “You can't be overprepared for a storm like this.”

A number of communities in the region say they are considering the possibility of postponing or cancelling Halloween celebrations altogether. Last year around the same time, a severe nor'easter hit the area, and caused a similar reaction.

The Dover Recreation Department told Foster's it would most likely postpone Halloween trick-or-treating (scheduled for next Wednesday) until the weekend, while the Farmington Recreation Department said they would likely call off their scheduled community events.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday it has deployed several “incident management assistance teams” to various states, including New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, as well as Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

FEMA urges residents to familiarize themselves with the terms used to identify severe weather hazards — a “tropical storm warning” will indicate poor weather conditions are expected within 36 hours and a “tropical storm watch” will mean within 48 hours.

They say potential for heavy rains can also lead to flooding, or flash flooding in some areas. Drivers should remember to “turn around, don't drown” if they must drive through a flooded area.

More information about what to do before, during and after a disaster can also be found at www.ready.gov and www.listo.gov.